Gin breast adjuster



A ril 23, 1940. w. A. JONES GIN BREAST ADJUSTER Filed Feb. 11, l39 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORN E YS.

April 23, 1940. w, JONES 2,197,932

GIN BREAS'; ADJUSTER Filed Feb. 11, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v GIN BREAST ADJUSTER William A. Jones, Ada, Okla.

Application February 11,

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an adjuster for gin breasts.

Means heretofore employed for raising and lowering the breasts of gins have generally been objectionable because they allow the breasts to fall and become injured. Furthermore they do not allow for the various adjustments of the breasts which are desirable to meet different conditions.

An object of the present invention is to provide an adjuster which can be applied to differv ent kinds of gins and, when properly positioned,

can be readily actuated to move the breast .to

any one of several positions so as to adapt it properly to the conditions present. v

A further object is to provide a means whereby the breast .can be swung well out from the gin to permit the operator to clean out lint, cotton and seed from the ribs without danger of injury to the hands.

A still further object is to provide an adjuster which will hold the breast securely in any position and prevent it from falling and becoming injured.

Another object is to provide an adjuster which enables the operator quickly to bring the gin breast into position to avoid injury or fire hazard resulting from backlash occurring when the condenser stops or when air or the brush fails to take cotton from the saws.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a gin and showing one side portion of the ad- 45 juster connected thereto. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the adjuster. Figure 3 is a plan View thereof. Referring to the figures by characters of reference A designates a portion of a gin provided 50 with the usual breast B mounted to swing at its lower end relative to the brush C. a

The present invention includes a rock shaft 1 mountedin suitable bearings 2 carried by the bottom portion of the gin and fixedly connected 55 to one end of this shaft is an operating lever 3 be shifted by means of a grip. 5.

1939, Serial No. 255,998

provided with a" spring-pressed dog 4 which can The dogis adapted to engage any one of a series of teeth 6 carried by a segment 1 which is fixedly mounted at one side of the gin in 'a plane parallel with the path of movement of lever 3.

Secured to shaft I adjacent to each end thereof is a shifting arm 8. located outside of the gin and pivotally attached, at its upper end, as by means of a transverse pin 9, to a thrust rod I0 and a guiderod H. These rods are extended substantially in opposite directions, rod ll being slidable in a stationary bracket l2. and! .carrying a coiled spring l3 which bears at one brackets l6 secured to and depending from the bottom of the breast B. The opposite ends of each thrust rod ID are preferably oppositely screw-threaded, one end being in engagement with a sleeve I! engaged by pin 9 while (the other end engages a yoke l8 engaging rod I5. Thus each rod I0, when rotated in one direction, can shift the yoke I8 away from sleeve 11 and, when rotated in the opposite direction will draw them toward each other. Thus a minute adjustment can be effected for the purpose of properly positioning the shifting arms 8 relative to the cross rod l5.

Normally the breast B of the gin is closed against the bottom of the gin, this being the .proper position while dry cotton is being ginned. The spring 13 will be compressed under these conditions and dog 4 in engagement with one of the teeth 6 at the back end of segment 1.

The spring is of sufficient strength to shift the breast forwardly when the dog is disengaged from the teeth 6 but it is not strong enough to push the dog out of engagement with the teeth.

Should a supply of damp cotton be fed to the gin, the operator, by a light upward pressure on the grip 5, can withdraw dog 4 from engagemerit with segment 1 and the breast will thus be quickly shifted forwardly as far as desired. This release is also desirable when ginning tough cotton or long staple cotton. Should there be a backlash in the gin due to failure of the condenser or due to accumulation of cotton on the saws, the 'gin breast can readily be released to swing outwardly as far as necessaryto avoid any fire hazard or the breaking of ribs. By grasping the lever the operator can quickly move the breast to any position and at no time is there any danger of the breast slamming shut and becoming broken.

It will be apparent that the structure herein described can be attached readily todifierent types of gins and constitutes an efiicient means whereby the breast of the gin can be opened and closed as necessary.

It will be noted that the teeth 6 are in the form of ratchet teeth so that when lever 3 is moved forwardly the dog will slip over the teeth but when the lever is thrust backwardly it cannot move unless the dog is first disengaged from the teeth. This insures against slamming of the breast and this slamming is further avoided by the cushioning action of the spring.

What is claimed is:

The combination with a gin having a breast mounted for swinging movement, of a rock shaft, an arm movable therewith, a stationary guide bracket, a guide rod pivotally connected to the arm and slidable in the bracket, a spring mounted on the guide rod and engaging the bracket,

said spring being normally under compression, a thrust rod, adjustable pivotal connections between the thrust rod and the arm and gin respectively, an operating lever extending from and movable with said rock shaft, an arcuate series of closely arranged ratchet teeth fixedly mounted adjacent to and parallel with the path of movement of the lever, said' teeth being pitched in the direction of thrust of the spring, a dogcarried by the lever for engagement with the teeth, and a spring carried by the lever and dog for urging said dog into engagement with any one ,of the teeth, said spring of the dog being of sufiicient strength to hold the dog normally in engagement with one of the teeth and against the thrusting action of the spring on the guide rod, said lever being movable in one direction to swing the breast to open position against the resisting force exerted by the spring of the dog, and said teeth and dog cooperating normally to hold the lever and breast against movement in the opposite direction.

WILLIAM A. JONES. 

